Napa Valley Wine Train toasts the holiday season with themed excursions in December; Santa Express rides and New Year's Eve celebrations scheduled for holiday festivities

Business Wire, Nov 21, 1994

NAPA VALLEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 21, 1994-- Bringing new meaning to the idea of a holiday sleigh ride, the Napa Valley Wine Train will welcome passengers aboard this December for themed tours and special excursions to celebrate this merry season.

Taking passengers back to the days of luxury train travel, the Wine Train has scheduled abbreviated "Santa Express" rides and a special New Year's Eve Train to ring in the New Year.

Santa Express: Santa usually travels by sleigh, but for the fourth year in a row, he'll commandeer the Wine Train during festive brunch and lunch excursions throughout the month. Having sold out before the holiday season even began, the "Santa Express" is a fun-filled ride to Yountville and back. Santa and a few of his elves will greet passengers as they board and spend the hour walking through the train. The Wine Train provides a continental breakfast a la carte for children of those who prefer a lighter meal.

New Year's Eve: For those passengers looking for a romantic way to ring in the New Year, Napa Valley Champagne will be uncorked for a festive New Year's Eve celebration on the dinner train. Dinner is $75 per person including train fare, tax and service charges. To promote responsible celebrating, the Wine Train once again will offer complimentary transportation to local hotels, including John Muir Inn, the Sheraton and the Inn at Napa Valley.

Gift Certificates: Gift wrapping a 135-ton diesel locomotive and six 1915-vintage Pullman coaches for a holiday present might be difficult, so the Napa Wine Train offers gift certificates for excursions aboard the train as gift items. The cost is $57 for brunch, $61 for lunch and $72 for dinner, including tax and service charges (in lieu of gratuities) and is good for round trip rail fare and a gourmet meal. Gift certificates also are available for special events including Winemakers Dinners, Murder Mystery Trains and Vintner's Luncheons. Gift certificates can be purchased at the Napa Valley Train station in downtown Napa or by phone.

Murder Mystery Trains: Passengers with a taste for elegance and an appetite for mystery will be more than intrigued by the Wine Train's murder mystery evening. Dinner guests aboard the Wine Train will witness a troupe of actors in costumes form the early 1900s enact a murder mystery drama based largely on historical events from San Francisco's 1915 Pan-Pacific Exposition. Dinner is $99 per person, including train fare, dinner theatre, tax and service charges. The Murder Mystery train boards at 6 p.m. and departs at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9.

Vinter's Luncheons: To give passengers a personal tour through the best fare the Napa Valley has to offer, the Wine Train will host wine makers from some of the Valley's most prestigious boutique wineries. During lunch the wine makers will personally greet passengers and offer insight on the intricacies of producing fine wines. Vintner's Luncheons board at 11 a.m., with prices set at $69 per person. Price includes train fare, meal, paired wines, tax and service charges (in lieu of gratuities). The following Vintner's Luncheons are scheduled for December:

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Friday, Dec. 2: Raymond Cellars

Friday, Dec. 9: Merryvale Vineyards

Friday, Dec. 16: Carneros Creek Winery

Champagne Brunches: Wine Train executive chef Allen Calhoun now incorporates his cajun specialty dishes into a New Orleans brunch menu, complimented by a glass of chilled champagne. The fixed-price champagne brunch is $22 per person, plus service charge and tax and is served in the train's elegantly refurbished dining car on Sundays. Brunch train fare is $30 per person and trains depart at 9 a.m.

The Wine Train's Brunch train also provides an optional continental breakfast to passengers riding in the special family car. Regular adult train fare is $24; train fare for passengers 12 and under is $10. Meal is a la carte. Departure time for continental breakfast in family car is the same as regular brunch train.

Celebrating its fifth anniversary this past September, the Wine Train has taken nearly 500,000 passengers through the Valley. The Wine Train travels 36 miles past 26 wineries through the heart of California's famed Wine Country. Passengers dine in white linen style aboard authentically refurbished 1915 era Pullman cars pulled by 1950s-vintage diesel locomotives.

During the week, the Wine Train boards passengers for its lunch train at 11 a.m. and at 12 noon on weekends; Champagne Brunch departs at 9 a.m. on Sundays; the Gourmet dinner train boards weekdays at 6 p.m. and at 5:30 p.m. on weekends. All trains depart from the downtown Napa station, located at 1275 McKinstry Street.

Reservations can be made by calling the Napa Valley Wine Train at 707/253-2111 or toll free 1-800/427-4124. Handicapped and wheelchair facilities are available with advance reservation notice.

CONTACT: Napa Valley Wine Train

              Erica Ercolano, 707/253-2160
                         or
              Ketchum Public Relations
              Kim Sobel, 415/984-6150
              Chris K. Joseph, 415/984-6280